Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very attractive German WWII Kriegsmarine white top Admiral grade officer's Schirmmütze, or visor cap, measuring approximately 56 1/2cm. The cap is distinguished by its two rows of large gold Celleon embroidered oak leaves across the black visor, identifying it as an Admiral grade example. It retains its removable white cotton crown, dark navy blue lower body, gilt national eagle, embroidered oak leaf wreath and cockade, black patent leather chinstrap, and largely intact original interior.

Kriegsmarine officer visor caps used distinctive visor decoration to identify rank groups. Junior officers wore a gold scalloped border, senior officers through Kapitän zur See wore a single row of oak leaves, and Admiral ranks wore two rows of interlocking gold oak leaves. This double row oak leaf visor embroidery identifies the cap as a Flag Grade example, appropriate for ranks from Kommodore through Großadmiral.

The lower body is constructed from dark navy blue wool, while the crown is made from diamond woven white cotton. The white upper section is removable, allowing the cap to be fitted with different covers depending on uniform and season, a construction broadly comparable to naval combination caps used by other services. The crown remains in very good overall condition and retains a crisp, attractive appearance.

The front carries a gilt stamped brass Reichsadler national eagle mounted directly to the white crown. Below this, the classic black coarsely woven cap band supports a hand embroidered insignia consisting of a gold Celleon oak leaf and acorn wreath surrounding the tricolor cockade. The cockade itself is worked in metallic bullion with a red felt center. The insignia remain very attractive overall and give the cap the rich gold and white presentation associated with Kriegsmarine officer headgear.

The black patent leather chinstrap is secured across the front of the cap and partly overlaps the lower portion of the band. Unlike many army and air force officer caps, Kriegsmarine visor caps retained leather chinstraps rather than relying on bullion chin cords as the primary officer distinction. Rank was instead indicated prominently by the decoration applied to the visor.

The visor itself has a black felt upper surface embroidered with two rows of large gold Celleon oak leaves, the defining feature of an Admiral grade cap. The embroidery remains highly impressive and gives the cap exceptional visual presence. The underside is covered in black square woven wool, while the faux leather edge trim remains fully intact. The visor is still firmly attached to the body of the cap.

The interior is lined in cream colored satin type fabric, possibly brushed cotton or a rayon cotton blend. It shows light general staining from wear and age but remains substantially intact. The original celluloid sweat shield diamond is still present and complete, with its attachment stitching fully retained.

The sweatband is made from brown leather with a rayon strip threaded around the upper edge and tied at the rear. It shows clear service wear and accumulated dirt and oils where it contacts the cap body. The principal condition issue is a complete tear through the sweatband on the left side. No other major tears are present, and despite this damage the sweatband remains securely stitched to the cap.

The cap measures approximately 56 1/2cm.

Overall condition is very good, with particularly strong exterior presentation. The removable white crown, dark navy wool body, gilt eagle, embroidered wreath and cockade, black patent leather chinstrap, and especially the double row gold oak leaf visor embroidery remain highly attractive. The interior shows expected service wear, and the torn sweatband is fully disclosed, but this remains an impressive and highly recognizable Kriegsmarine Admiral grade visor cap for an advanced naval or German WWII headgear collection.

The German Schirmmütze Visor Cap:
The visor cap (Schirmmütze) was an important part of the headgear worn by German uniformed military, civil, paramilitary and political organizations during the Third Reich. This was the standard cloth headgear worn as a part of the service uniform. Visor caps were worn outdoors as well as indoors, and were often required to be worn by all personnel on duty. Visor caps were made in versions specific to each organization and were often further differentiated through the use of insignia, colored piping, or style of chin cord, to indicate rank, role or branch. The insignia used on these caps ranged from simple stamped metal emblems, to elaborate hand embroidery. Visor caps were issued to enlisted soldiers and NCOs in the military and in some other organizations. Officers had to purchase their own hats, and lower ranks could choose to purchase caps that were of a higher quality than the rather basic, issue examples. The private purchase caps were generally made in very high quality, with fine materials. A wide variety of fabrics were used, from Trikot and doeskin, to heavy wool, or even lightweight white fabric for summer wear. In the military, issue of these caps was generally suspended shortly after the outbreak of the war, but they continued to be worn by some troops until the end of the war.